Celebrating the nation's rage, Virat Kohli: top centuries

It has been years now that he is being compared to Sachin Tendulkar. He has always considered Tendulkar as God and himself a mortal, who has to work hard to score those runs while scoring one mind boggling innings after another.

Last night’s innings against Kings XI Punjab, will be considered by many as Virat Kohli’s best yet. And it is not only for the blistering sixes and boundaries he kept on smashing throughout the match, but the grace with which he has done that without a single bad shot. He had also suffered a finger injury in his last match against Kolkata Knight Riders.

The match was delayed by rain but it was hardly any hindrance for Kohli. Kohli and Chris Gayle ripped apart the Punjab attack, putting in an astounding 147-run opening partnership in just 66 balls. You can understand the dilemma of bowlers, when Gayle finds his form back, smashing 73 off 32 balls with eight huge sixes.

It was only after he and AB de Villiers (0) were sent back to the pavilion that Kohli stepped up. The sixes and the fours flowed as he reached the century mark in only the 14th over. By the storm ended, he had scored a 50-ball 113, his fourth century this season, and walked off to a standing ovation.

From the best young cricketer in world cricket to the best cricketer in the world cricket, he is an astonishing example of how tends to find one legendary batsman after another. Being labelled as the next ‘Sachin’ and next ‘Bradman’, Kohli’s master class has time and again proved that his brilliance in the times of such demanding and high-intensity cricket makes him one of a kind and may be better than the rest.


With this at the top, here are Kohli’s top 4 centuries that were not only fantastic but also at crucial times making them all match-winning innings-

1. India vs Sri Lanka, Hobart, 2012 (Commonwealth Bank Series) – Undoubtedly one of the most uphill tasks the Indian team has ever faced. To stay in the series, India had to not only win but do that with a bonus point. But cometh the hour, cometh the man!

India had to chase 320 runs in 40 balls and after India’s top three of Sachin, Sehwag and Gambhir got off to good starts, they were sent back to the pavilion. The perfect start was given but India needed an anchor who would hold the ship by its hand and reach the shore. Kohli’s innings of 86-ball 133will forever be a nightmare for the Sri Lankan bowlers.

The target was reached with 80 balls to spare as Kohli battered Sri Lanka’s fast bowler Lasith Malinga for 24 in an over.

2. India vs Pakistan (Asia Cup 2012) – Any century against Pakistan is memorable for an Indian batsman but scoring a mammoth 183 against them is immortal. Everything was picture perfect for Kohli in this match. Big target, huge audience, and his God Sachin Tendulkar at the non-striker end.

Pakistan had set a target of 330. India needed their highest successful run chase at the time to gain victory. Gambhir walked back in just the second ball of the Indian innings giving way to Kohli. It was world’s first glimpse of him and he aptly showed that India could rely on someone other than Tendulkar. Though the Mumbaikar did chip in a supporting 48-ball 52, it was Kohli’s knock of 183 from 148 balls that won the match for India, giving them an outside chance to qualify for the finals.

3. India vs Bangladesh, Dhaka (World Cup debut 2011) – Century on debut is always special and if it comes in a World Cup debut, it is a great achievement. This was not a Kohli show this time as it was Sehwag’s blistering innings of 175 stole the thunder. The achievement was all the more sugar-coated as it exacted India’s World Cup revenge against Bangladesh of 2007 World Cup.

Kohli played rather slow innings of 100 of 83 balls this time but it was not any less special. Because he had come in at the place of Raina, such a matured supportive innings was not expected from the Delhi lad at the time. The fact that he showed such class at a tender age reflected way back then the future of the batsman.

4. India vs Australia, Jaipur (2013) – Kohli loves smashing Aussies around the ground. It has been seen repeatedly that when other Indian batsmen have failed against Aussie face, Kohli has stood firm on his ground.

Australia, already one up in the series and set a humungous 359 on the board for the 2nd match. Though the pitch was clearly a batting one, to chase such a huge score, one needs extreme concentration and brilliance. The world was yet to be acquainted with the greatest run chaser ever to play the game.

The opening partnership of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma gave a fine platform for Kohli to show what he is best at. When Dhawan got out for 95, Kohli walked in to smash India’s fastest ODI hundred in just 52 balls. He was unstoppable. Sixes and fours rained all night in Jaipur. India chased down the target with 39 balls to spare.